A Slice of Success: Cake2Go Kicks Off Season 2 of PLDT Enterprise’s “ROI’d to Success” on Hustleshare Podcast

A Slice of Success: Cake2Go Kicks Off Season 2 of PLDT Enterprise’s “ROI’d to Success” on Hustleshare Podcast

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

How a family-run cake brand baked innovation into its business with help from PLDT Enterprise

ROI’d to Success is back for a second season—and it’s coming in hot with a fresh batch of entrepreneurial inspiration. Now produced in collaboration with the Hustleshare podcast, the new season kicks off with Cake2Go, a family-run cake business that has become one of the country’s pioneers in hotline-based, delivery-first cake services.

This new episode sets the tone for Season 2 of ROI’d to Success, a series created by PLDT Enterprise to shine a spotlight on executives and entrepreneurs who have harnessed digital tools to fuel their business’ growth, scale up operations, and turn resilience into return on investment.

“With ROI’d to Success, we want to empower enterprises of all sizes by showing how the right digital solutions can create real, measurable impact,” said the Chet Alviz, Vice President and Head of Marketing, PLDT Enterprise. “Season 1 showed us that these transformations are not only possible—they're happening. And Season 2 continues that momentum with even more inspiring stories.”

From Humble Kitchen to Digital Breakthrough

Founded in 2005 by Biskwit Co., Cake2Go started as a modest kitchen venture focused on quick, reliable cake delivery—a niche that was still emerging in the early 2000s. With a hotline-based model and an emphasis on convenience, the brand carved out a sweet spot in the market long before food delivery apps became the norm.

“As early as 2005, we saw a gap in the market for a takeout and delivery cake shop that made it easy for people to just stop by or call in for something sweet,” said Marilen Yap, Cake2Go Co-Founder and Part-Owner. “We aren’t your typical bakeshop; we are actually the pioneers in this kind of setup. We handled everything ourselves at the start, and by December of that first year, the demand had grown so fast that Luis was already stuck in the kitchen full-time. It’s been quite a ride.”

Today, Cake2Go operates over a dozen branches across Metro Manila and is known for bestsellers like the T-Overload, Dulce De Leche Cheesecake, and Mango Peach Tiramisu. But behind every slice of success is a story of hustle, adaptation, and digital evolution.

In the ROI’d to Success episode, Cake2Go Co-Founder and Part-Owner Luis Mesina shares how the business turned to PLDT Enterprise to modernize its backend, optimize operations, and ensure its hotline systems could scale with demand—especially during the pandemic, when digital reliability became a lifeline for many businesses.

“We’ve always been a delivery-based business. PLDT Enterprise gave us the infrastructure to grow, to serve more customers, and to remain reliable when our customers needed us the most,” said Mesina.

“PLDT Enterprise’s digital solutions provide easier opportunities. They help businesses hit their desired market faster, and you get your ROI 20–30% faster,” he added.

Thanks to connectivity solutions like broadband and business-grade hotline support, Cake2Go was able to sustain high volumes of orders, improve customer experience, and continue delivering joy to homes across the metro.

Committed to Empowering and Elevating Entrepreneurs, One Story at a Time

ROI’d to Success Season 2 builds on the success of the first season and will continue to be told in real voices through the Hustleshare platform, highlighting the tangible ways PLDT Enterprise supports businesses in navigating an increasingly digital world.

“It’s more than just technology—it’s about creating a meaningful connection between innovation and impact,” Alviz added. “We’re proud to help businesses like Cake2Go scale with confidence and share these stories to inspire others on similar journeys.”

New episodes of ROI’d to Success Season 2 will roll out soon, featuring more executives and entrepreneurs who have transformed their businesses with the help of PLDT Enterprise’s suite of digital solutions.

Catch the Cake2Go episode now on Hustleshare’s Spotify and follow PLDT Enterprise on social media for more stories of digital breakthroughs from businesses across the country.

To discover the digital solutions that can drive your business growth like Cake2Go, visit https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise_ROId_cake2go_pr

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FWD Life Insurance tops PH Insurance Industry in Q1 2025

FWD Life Insurance tops PH Insurance Industry in Q1 2025

FWD Philippines jumps to #1 from a back-to-back Top 3 ranking from 2023 and 2024

FWD Life Insurance (FWD Philippines) secures the number one life insurer in the Philippines in terms of new business annual premium equivalent (NBAPE) on a singleton basis, according to the Insurance Commission’s (IC) 2025 Q1 Report.

FWD Philippines records a total NBAPE of Php 2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025, a 57% increase versus the same period the previous year, and the highest percentage growth among the country’s top 10 insurance companies. In addition to securing the number one ranking among life insurers in the Philippines, FWD Philippines also captures the Top 2 spot on a combined basis.

“This achievement is more than just a number – it is a powerful reflection of our collective commitment to changing the way people feel about insurance. As the insurer of the next generation, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do and commit to support nation-building by offering innovative and accessible insurance products, promoting financial inclusion, and enabling every Filipino to build their best future and truly celebrate living.” said FWD Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer, Manuel Antonio “Jumbing” De Rosas.

After ranking among the Top 6 in 2022, FWD Philippines achieved and maintained a Top three ranking from 2023 to 2024, establishing itself as one of the fastest-growing insurers in the Philippines.

Learn more about FWD’s innovative products, services, and programs by visiting www.fwd.com.ph.

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AIA Philippines and BPI AIA Introduce Affordable, Flexible Plans to Help Filipinos Achieve Their Life Goals

AIA Philippines and BPI AIA Introduce Affordable, Flexible Plans to Help Filipinos Achieve Their Life Goals

Financial security often feels out of reach for many Filipinos, especially when day-to-day needs take priority over long-term plans. To help address this concern, AIA Philippines Life and General Insurance Company, Inc. (AIA Philippines), formerly Philam Life and now the domestic arm of Hong Kong-based insurer AIA, has launched a flexible and affordable variable universal life (VUL) insurance plan, AIA Goals Protect. Its bancassurance arm BPI AIA Life Assurance Corporation (BPI AIA), a strategic alliance between Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and AIA Philippines, has also launched BPI AIA Prosper. These plans are both designed to put Filipinos in the driver's seat of their financial well-being—helping protect what matters now while confidently pursuing their life goals.

“Our ‘Rethink Healthy’ study revealed that 41% of Filipinos feel overwhelmed by the challenge of juggling financial security with the demands of daily life,” explains Melita Teo, President and Chief Executive Officer, AIA Philippines. “AIA Goals Protect provides an easier way for them to invest in their future while adapting to their changing needs, offering the best of both worlds: enjoying life now while building a secure future.”

“Similarly, BPI AIA Prosper empowers individuals to tailor their financial well-being, from boosting health coverage to securing their family's future,” Teo added.

Protection and Growth Tailored to Your Aspirations

Even with savings and insurance, many Filipinos continue to worry about what lies ahead, according to the AIA study. Both AIA Goals Protect and BPI AIA Prosper respond to this challenge by combining life insurance with financial solutions tailored to meet specific needs. These plans enable policyholders to create a financial safety net while actively working toward key life goals, whether it is buying a home, funding education, or preparing for a secure retirement.

Starting at Php2,085 per month, AIA Goals Protect offers flexible coverage through three distinct packages: Protection, Health and Medical, and Long-Term Savings Growth. AIA Goals Protect offers the market's highest loyalty bonus, adding up to 3.5%1 to the fund growth, and a no-lapse guarantee2 for added peace of mind. To help maximize investments and stay on track with life goals, AIA Goals Protect is also invested in the highest-performing3 local and global funds, managed by experienced professionals.

Another key advantage of AIA Goals Protect is its enhanced death benefit. In the event of an unexpected passing, beneficiaries receive a death benefit including fund growth. That is more than the policy is worth, and significantly higher than the standard death benefit offered by most other insurance plans.4

The plan can be customized with optional add-ons/riders that cover accidents, hospital stays, critical illnesses, and more. Manageable payment terms include a five-year option or pay-until-age-65. Furthermore, policyholders can choose coverage levels of up to 100 times the premium paid, allowing them to prioritize either protection or savings based on individual objectives.

Meanwhile, BPI AIA Prosper, available exclusively to BPI customers, offers two core packages—Protection and Health—making it a straightforward and robust option. Similar to Goals Protect, it allows policyholders to adjust coverage and investment allocations based on their life stage and priorities. BPI AIA Prosper also offers customizable additional benefits through riders, providing extra coverage for disabilities, medical emergencies, and critical illnesses.

BPI AIA Prosper adapts to changing needs, allowing for increased protection during key life events or allocation of more resources to growth. With expert fund management from BPI Wealth, policyholders can also benefit from potential growth. Plus, BPI AIA Prosper provides flexible coverage with death benefit multiples, which means the death benefit can be a multiple of the premium paid.

Making Financial Wellness Less Stressful

AIA Philippines research also revealed that 65% of Filipinos rely on personal savings for health emergencies, which can derail long-term financial goals. By blending protection with fund growth opportunities, both AIA Goals Protect and BPI AIA Prosper help alleviate this burden, offering peace of mind while keeping policyholders on track toward their aspirations.

Compared to many other VUL offerings, both plans are priced competitively, making them accessible to more Filipinos. "AIA is dedicated to empowering Filipinos to take control of their financial well-being without undue financial strain," shares Teo. "Our goal is to make it easier for them to live healthier, longer, and better lives, and we are committed to supporting them every step of the way."

As part of their commitment to empowering Filipinos, AIA Philippines and BPI AIA will host a series of webinars and community events focused on financial planning and well-being. These initiatives aim to educate Filipinos on how to effectively manage their finances while securing their future.

To know more about AIA Goals Protect and BPI AIA Prosper, visit www.aia.com.ph or www.bpi-aia.com.ph/

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iProov Threat Intelligence Uncovers "Grey Nickel" Threat Actor Targeting Banking, Crypto, and Payment Platforms

iProov Threat Intelligence Uncovers "Grey Nickel" Threat Actor Targeting Banking, Crypto, and Payment Platforms

KYC Processes Exposed in Wave of Sophisticated Financial Sector Attacks

iProov, the world's leading provider of science-based biometric identity verification solutions, today revealed details of an active cybercriminal operation that has successfully infiltrated financial institutions worldwide by exploiting vulnerabilities in remote identity verification systems. iProov's Security Operations Center (iSOC) observed live operations of the threat actor, codenamed "Grey Nickel," targeting organizations globally with concentrated attacks against banking, crypto exchanges, e-wallets, and digital payment platforms in Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and North America. During its investigation of “Grey Nickel”, the iSOC team also documented an unprecedented escalation in attacks specifically designed to bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) processes across the financial services sector.

Financial Services: New Attacks, Same Battleground

Financial services organizations have long been prime targets for relentless fraud attacks, both by lone perpetrators and highly organized criminal networks. Unfortunately, many of the organizations targeted by “Grey Nickel” and the KYC attackers had employed liveness detection technologies that appear to be designed to prevent only presentation attacks as opposed to AI-fueled digitally injected attacks. The gap between the identity assurance that these technologies are able to provide and the identity assurance needed has become a profitable sweet spot for cybercriminals.

iProov advises organizations to use its spectrum of identity assurance methodology to determine the most suitable verification technologies, tailored to each use case, by evaluating the contextual knowledge of the individual and the risk of the activity with the organization’s risk appetite.

"These criminal groups understand that banking, crypto exchanges, e-wallets, and digital payment platforms represent some of the highest-value targets for identity fraud," said Dr. Andrew Newell, Chief Scientific Officer of iProov." It is important to understand that these aren't opportunistic attacks; they represent highly coordinated, specialized operations that pose an existential threat to the digital transformation of banking."

Multiple Threat Actors, Common Target

iProov's investigation has identified several distinct criminal operations:

Grey Nickel: Systematic Operations

A sophisticated threat actor group, codenamed "Grey Nickel," has been conducting systematic attacks against identity verification systems since July 2023, primarily targeting organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, with recent expansions into North America and EMEA. This group employs advanced face-swap technology, metadata manipulation, and injection techniques specifically designed to defeat single-frame liveness-based verification systems used by banks and payment platforms.

Advanced Virtual Camera Networks

Separate criminal groups have developed and distributed specialized mobile applications that enable KYC bypass on both Android and iOS devices. These applications inject pre-recorded or manipulated video feeds during identity verification, with some variants now incorporating lip-syncing capabilities to defeat voice-based challenges.

Deepfake-as-a-Service Operations

Independent criminal actors have established service-based models, offering custom deepfake creation and comprehensive KYC bypass packages specifically designed to target cryptocurrency exchanges and payment platforms. These operations combine stolen identity databases with AI-generated media to create “synthetic identities” and enable large-scale identity fraud.

AI-Powered Fraud Tools

Criminal forums now actively share techniques using commercially available AI platforms to generate convincing deepfake videos, specifically designed to bypass primitive liveness technologies employed by some financial institutions.

Financial Impact of AI-based Cybercrime

The financial consequences of these attacks are reaching unprecedented levels:

• In 2024, a Hong Kong employee of a British multinational company fell victim to deepfake scammers for US$25.6 million when criminals impersonated company executives

• More than half of the organizations surveyed in a recent Biocatch Report admitted to losing between $5 and $25 million to AI-powered attacks in 2023.
• A United Nations report noted a rise in AI-driven crimes involving deepfakes, demonstrated by more than a 600% increase in mentions of deepfake-related content targeting criminal groups in Southeast Asia across monitored online platforms in the first half of 2024.

Criminal Innovation Outpaces Regulatory Response

A critical global challenge in combating cybercrime against the financial services sector is the widespread lack of comprehensive data from these institutions. This absence of consistent, mandatory incident reporting across many jurisdictions prevents regulators from accurately assessing the scale of illicit activities, which hinders effective regulatory action. While regions like the European Union are advancing proactive measures, with bodies such as the European Banking Authority proposing the adoption of the high-assurance EU Digital Identity Wallet or an equivalent to comply with AML rules, many nations lag behind. This creates global disparities that cybercriminals can exploit and highlights an urgent need for greater international cooperation and data sharing to drive robust security enhancements and coordinated regulatory intervention.

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Ant International Pushes AI Strategy with AI Platform for Fintechs

Ant International Pushes AI Strategy with AI Platform for Fintechs

Monday, June 9, 2025

• Three-pronged AI strategy focuses on AI security, Vertical Fintech Expertise, and Full-stack AI platform support

• First fintech clients begin official integration in June 2025 in Southeast Asia and South Asia

Ant International, a leading global digital payment, and financial technology provider, today unveils its AI strategy with the launch of Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit, an AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) platform that empowers fintech companies and super apps to build AI-agentic and ultimately AI-native financial services with enhanced efficiency, security, and flexibility.

Making AI systemically work for finance remains the holy grail of the current AI revolution. Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit is a platform to help entrepreneurs architect an agentic and ultimately AI-native financial services, combining automated workflows and task orchestration with a dynamic enterprise context, across main fintech tasks, from payment orchestration, customer onboarding, compliance checks, to fraud detection, dispute resolution, as well as evaluation and performance optimization.

“The future of finance will be shaped by agentic AI that not only carries out tasks autonomously in real automated workflows and sophisticated financial business and compliance context with reliability, but also interacts, evolves and learns rapidly in orchestration with ever-growing precision,” said Jiangming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer of Ant International.

Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit has been honed on Ant International’s four key business units: wallet gateway service (Alipay+), merchant payment service (Antom), cross-border business account service (WorldFirst), and embedded finance service (global treasury management, digital lending and credit tech solutions). Upon successful completion of trial runs, the first external clients in Southeast Asia and South Asia will start officially deploying the Cockpit in June 2025.

Three-Pronged AI Strategy: Security, Vertical Fintech Expertise, and Platform-level Support for Agentic FinAI

Combining a fintech-specific toolbox and dynamic industry knowledge base alongside business-ready AI innovations, the Cockpit embodies three key directions of Ant International’s AI strategy.

Security Shield for Trusted AI

AI scamming threats using deepfake and other technologies have been growing over 10 folds by the year, with grave implications, especially in the financial sector. Statistics show 22% of businesses have encountered AI-generated payment fraud.

Ant International invests heavily in AI security solutions to combat external AI scamming attacks and eliminate internal model security risks such as model hallucination or bias. Its AI SHIELD framework manages risks across system architecture designing, data processing, model training, and inferencing. It offers real-time dynamic risk assessment, including detecting adversarial prompts and sensitive data leakage through over 100 recognition models and 600,000 risk lexicons. Today, fraud loss rate in Ant International’s merchant payment service is 5% of industry average.

Deep Vertical Financial Expertise

Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit leverages over 20 leading LLMs, including Ant International’s own Falcon Time-Series-Transformer FX Model. However, it has focused on integrating fintech knowledge bases, such as bank transfer rules and dispute resolution policies, to help businesses build specialized fintech agents.

The Cockpit toolbox supports retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), post-training, evaluation, and benchmarking, taking the combination of general-purpose datasets with industry-specific benchmarks developed from Ant International’s financial expertise to help improve model precision.

Built on the Cockpit, Antom Copilot is the world’s first AI agent designed to help merchants boost conversion by streamlining the process of payment method integration, recommending optimal payment channels, and resolving common tasks like code correction and the auto-completion of merchant onboarding documents. It also allows merchants to configure risk management strategy with natural language.

Full-Stack FinAI Platform Support

Cockpit offers a wide selection of pre-built agents covering regular tasks, including customer service, content curation for targeted marketing, and AI-assisted coding. One level up, a business can easily customize agents for more specialized scenarios such as travel advisory, tax refunds, cross-border remittance, and loyalty rewards, accelerating time-to-value across business functions.

Further, the Cockpit’s model context protocol (MCP) marketplace supports major MCP servers developed thus far and allows businesses to create their own MCP servers to enable autonomous task completion. It also supports flexible deployment across public clouds and on-premise environments, drawing on strategic partnerships with Google Cloud and other top-tier infrastructure providers.

“The FinAI sector is at its big-bang moment,” said Yang. “We are eager to work with the industry to evolve and expand the toolbox as well as this ecosystem to help financial businesses scale their growth faster and better.”

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LBC Express Empowers Filipino Entrepreneurs with Up to 60% Off Shipping Through ‘LBC BOSS’ Program

LBC Express Empowers Filipino Entrepreneurs with Up to 60% Off Shipping Through ‘LBC BOSS’ Program

LBC Express, the Philippines trusted logistics and money services provider, officially launches LBC BOSS (Bulk Order Sulit Sending), a new shipping program built to support the growing community of online sellers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the Philippines.

The initiative underscores LBC’s continued commitment to uplift Filipino entrepreneurs, offering up to 60% off shipping rates, starting with a minimum of 15 parcels per month. Members also gain access to free doorstep pick-up, dedicated customer support, and exclusive business perks tailored to their needs.

“Filipinos have always been entrepreneurial — from traditional markets to today’s digital platforms,” said Oliver L. Valentin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Philippine Branch Operations at LBC Express Inc.

“LBC BOSS was built to empower that spirit. It is a program made specifically for the modern Filipino seller — the ones building their own brands from home, pursuing dreams through hard work, and serving their communities with heart. LBC is here to support them with the tools, savings, and reliability they deserve,” he added.

With the steady rise of e-commerce, social selling, and marketplace platforms, LBC BOSS comes at a pivotal moment for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The program reflects LBC’s continued commitment from serving Filipinos overseas to championing local entrepreneurs as they build, scale, and thrive.

Whether shipping curated fashion pieces, handcrafted goods, baked treats, or skincare essentials, sellers can rely on LBC BOSS as a partner that understands both the speed and demands behind every small business.

As LBC approaches its 75th anniversary, the launch of LBC BOSS reflects the company’s enduring mission to move lives, uplift communities, and deliver value beyond logistics.

Ready to boost your business? Sign up and become an LBC BOSS today!

To learn more, visit LBC Express’ official website or follow their social media pages for the latest updates.

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Singlife Philippines launches Protect from Funeral Costs: A final act of love that lives on

Singlife Philippines launches Protect from Funeral Costs: A final act of love that lives on

Thursday, June 5, 2025

In Filipino culture, being present is everything. Whether it’s for birthdays, emergencies, or moments of grief—showing up is how we show love. But what if you couldn’t be there when it matters most?

With Protect from Funeral Costs, the latest offering in the Singlife Plan & Protect App, Singlife Philippines makes it possible to do one last act of love—to show up for those that matter most, even when you no longer can.

This whole life insurance product offers a lump sum benefit of up to ₱500,000, which can help families cover funeral arrangements or other end-of-life expenses, giving peace of mind to both policyholders and their loved ones. Fully accessible through Singlife’s all-digital mobile platform, this solution empowers every Filipino to prepare responsibly, protect those they love, and continue showing up—even in their absence.

“Losing someone you love is already one of life’s most difficult moments, and having to rely on ‘abuloy’ or having to pass the hat just to pay for funeral costs makes it even harder,” said Lester Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of Singlife Philippines. “Protect from Funeral Costs allows you to prepare in advance and leave behind a final act of love, one that ensures your family can grieve without financial worry. It’s part of our mission at Singlife: to empower every Filipino toward financial independence—in life, and beyond it.”

Growing Suite of Protection in the Singlife Plan & Protect App

Protect from Funeral Costs joins Singlife’s best-in-class suite of affordable, mobile-first insurance and investment solutions. These include life insurance, medical cost protection, and investment-linked plans—all designed to put financial control directly in the hands of customers. Like booking a flight or managing a savings account, buying funeral protection can now be done anytime, anywhere.

With funeral expenses in the Philippines typically exceeding ₱200,000, Singlife’s latest product provides straightforward, flexible coverage in the face of a very real financial risk.

The Protection You Leave Behind

Protect from Funeral Costs provides a lump sum cash benefit that gives your family the flexibility to honor your final wishes in their own way. Whether it’s for a modest ceremony or a more elaborate farewell, your loved ones can decide how to use the money without being locked into a fixed package from a funeral service provider. The product was designed with key features to give customers a convenient and easy way to plan for their funeral expenses.

Customizable and affordable protection: You can choose coverage from ₱100,000 to ₱500,000. Premiums are pocket-friendly, starting at just ₱447 per month, with payment terms of just 5 or 10 years—and your coverage lasts until age 120.

Built-in Financial Needs Analysis: Not sure how much coverage you need? This feature helps you estimate how much your family may need based on your preferred funeral type, casket, memorial lot, number of viewing days, and expected guests. Since most people don’t realize how much a funeral can cost, this unique tool empowers you to plan ahead and ensure your family won’t be caught off guard.

Yearly coverage boost*: Keep your policy active and enjoy additional coverage* each year at no extra cost, helping you stay ahead of inflation and rising funeral expenses.

Spouse and child coverage: Extend protection to your spouse or life partner under one plan. Starting from the second policy year, you also have the option to enroll your child for coverage at no extra cost—no need to buy a separate policy for them.

Waiver of premiums due to disability: If you become permanently disabled during your premium payment period, you won’t have to worry about future payments—your premium payments will be waived but your coverage will remain active and in force.

Cash value and loan access: Over time, your policy builds cash value, which you can borrow from starting in the fourth year—giving you extra financial flexibility when needed.

Immediate cash assistance: Your beneficiaries will receive 10% of the cash benefit in advance upon submission of the policyholder’s death certificate and beneficiary’s identity verification. This helps cover urgent funeral expenses while the remaining amount is released upon claim approval.

*Coverage boosts come from non-guaranteed dividends, and their performance depends on market conditions.

A Final Act of Protection. A Lifetime of Love.

In a country where insurance penetration remains below 2%, Singlife Philippines is challenging the status quo by offering simple, relevant solutions that meet Filipinos where they are—on their phones, and in real life.

With Protect from Funeral Costs, the company transforms what used to be a taboo topic into a powerful expression of love and foresight. Because even if you can’t be there, your protection still can be.

Protect from Funeral Costs is now available exclusively in the Singlife Plan & Protect App, downloadable on the App Store and Google Play. Check how much coverage you need using the financial analysis tool and get an instant ₱300 in Singlife Credits—free—to help jumpstart your journey to financial independence.

Because love doesn’t stop—even when life does.

Click here to learn more about Protect from Funeral Costs.

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